The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-11-17
A CHAPTER ON CANES.
THE POPULAR DEMAND FOR MORE
EXPENSIVE DECORATION.

The Various Kinds OF Wood used-sticks
Imported from Foreign Lsnds-oold
and silver Headed Canes--A Peep Into
the Melting Pot.
There is great activity among the cane
makers Of this city. They work day and
night 10 fill orders for the holiday trade.
These orders are mostly for canes OF the
higher prices, with gold or silver heads.
The popular demand for canes is not NJ
present m the line Of rare and curious
woods but rather for inferior material IN
the sticks and more expensive decoration.
The cheaper sticks, such rs are sold on
the sidewalks and AZ the summer resorts,
are made of n0naberry wood, hickory,
water beech aud dogwoOd. These sticks
are grown DO New Jersey and the north
ern part of New York state The process
Of getting these canes ready for the mar
kct consists merely in Strengthening, sand
paparIng and polishing These cheap
varieties are never ornamented with gold
or silver and they are sold for from five
70 fifteen cents apiece
Among tine imported sticks are those
made of olive wood. which Is brought
from Algeria through the London market.
Another popular variety of wood is Eng
lish hazel & very fne'hazel wood stick Is
grown I'm Germany Hazel wood is chiefly
priced for the beauty of It's bark which is
particularly trueOf the English silver bark.
These sticks are brought to This country
with natural crook handles. and are 0rua-
mented with gold, silver and buokhom
heads Another variety Of wood sought
after hy cane carriers is the French crab.
These sticks are cultivated ON cane farms
i'm the vicinity of Paris They are used
with and without the bark, and fetch
higher prices than hazel
Az EXPENSIVE STICK
A very expensive cane is made from the
Madagascar or Ccylon vine. This wood is
warty and knotty II is carried in It's
natural condition with knob on each
stick A highly prizea cane is made from
Malacca cane, of the rattan species These
sticks are largely used for mounting pur-
poses. They are about equal in value 90
the hazel Other beautiful canes are made
from English oak, prunele and German
Cherry A comparatively rare cane is
manufactured from the hide NJ the sea
COW IL is seml-trlusparent like amber
But the woods which are always In de-
mand, and which none Of the yagaries Of
fashion have driven from their secure po-
s.tl0n i'm public estimation, are the rose
wood. ebony and snakewO0d These va
r.eties nave practically % monopoly of ele-
CANT mouutings A solid gold head Is
seldom. If ever. put upon anything less
rare than the three varieties. Snakewo0d
is peculiarly striking In appearance, much
resembling the notified skin Of "a rattle
snake
Among the names for the different
kinds of canes are she Pistol Butt. The
Prince Of Wales Knob. the Opera Hook
Crutch Hook. the Mascot Hook and tine
Mascot Cutch
Ncver before 100 the history Of cane
making have there been $50 many g0lda
lter headed cane. carried as 40 present.
The majority of these mounungs are no,
soiid as % great many persons enormously
suppose They are made of Thin shell,
which is usually one-siXth gold or silver
uu1 four siXfhs Dasor metal
Ile process OF manufacture ~ these
metal heads d, very interesting An I'M
Hirnf, Of stairs iu Fulton street the other
aay t0 see how the heads were made Tie
1rl- first shown q series of steel dies with
which che cane heads were pressed into
lice desired shapes The edges of the two
pieces were then Joined together with gold
solder just as the halves Of q walnut shell
might De welded This shell was then
nled with melted lead $50 as o. form
solid ground un0Twlich the gold chasors
cam work tO whom the cane head was
tYcu passed for commentator After tAe
cua-eIs have enc the yielding metal into
figured designs the head was covered With
whiting aud submitted to the fierce heat
of ID .a- JET. which caused the lead to run
ont Then the cane lad was polished
and fastened upon Che cane.
AS INTERESTING PROCESS
4 most interesting process was that by
which the gold was separated from the
baser metals An the odd pieces of metal
which were left over Ike shoemakers
parngs. were thrown into 20 big earthen
pre- .r,o jar Nitric acid was poured
upon these scraps a chemical action
was then begun by which the gold was
separated from the baser metals
4 white ana HlNOcdlhs SMOKE
arose which was sitting The liquid
u the jar assumed deep blue
color and big golden bubbles rose TO
the surface The contents Of tie jar sim
mered and seethed, and all the time the
acid was getting ia its work separating
the purcr metal from the baser compost
ton The liquid was constantly assum-
ing varying changes in color until DO
gradually settled down into vivid green.
Then the gold shayings were hshed out
aud dried iu copper dIppcr over q port-
able forge The gold shayiugs were then
placed iu a little sand crud0lc which was
wcdgcd between Two glowing pieces Of
charcoal In the intense heat of the fire
The e0.d shaylng- were soon reduced 20 a
liquid state and cast into bars 20 be used
for soldering purposes.
The place where this process is carried
on employs only about q dozen men, set
the pr0prct0r- sell an the water, which is
used for washing purposes, the ashes from
the portable forge and the aprons, besides
tIe -wccpinr- from the floor for &4UO q